Cadillac Should Revive The Eldorado To Rival Mercedes-Benz, Porsche

Miami Herald

14-07-2025

The Cadillac Eldorado has been many things over the years, ranging from massive, extravagant land yachts to downsized, front-wheel drive personal luxury coupes, but since 2002, there's only been one way to describe it: non-existent. A distinguished model that once represented the pinnacle of American automotive excellence has become nothing more than a relic of a bygone era, where American automakers proudly triumphed over foreign manufacturers, and built every one of their automobiles with immense pride and quality craftsmanship.
These days, however, Cadillac is experiencing a renaissance period of its own, and currently offers stateside buyers one of the most eclectic and luxurious ranges of models seen from any domestic manufacturer. Ranging from supercharged V8-powered, high-performance driving machines to cutting-edge EVs and ultra-luxurious SUVs, Cadillac's contemporary lineup features an incredibly diverse variety of attractive, high-quality automobiles.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Cadillac–the brand traditionally known for its excessively large and flamboyant luxury sedans and presidential limousines–has even earned itself a coveted reputation for driver-oriented performance, thanks to its focused "V" and "Blackwing" lineups. At the same time, and in the same Cadillac showrooms, one can experience the convenience and functionality of a modern, state-of-the-art EV, or alternatively and quite oppositely, the visceral sensation of piloting a luxurious sedan equipped with a 668-horsepower supercharged pushrod V8 and an old-school, six-speed manual transmission.
This signature technological duality that has transformed Cadillac into one of the most dynamic and intriguing American automakers in the modern era is certainly something to be celebrated, especially before its more traditional models are eventually phased out in favor of more contemporary, regulation-meeting EVs. So, I'd like to put forth an idea that could simultaneously celebrate Cadillac's old-school roots, its passion for exhilarating performance, and its electrified future: Cadillac should bring back the Eldorado.
Famously owned by the likes of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, the Cadillac Eldorado is just as iconic as the stars who drove it. Featured in films like True Romance and Casino, the Eldorado's presence in popular culture is unmistakable, and the extravagant coupe has since become a legend in its own right. Envisioning Cadillac's heritage without noting the Eldorado is an impossible task, as its swooping lines, daring tail fins, and excessively large posture have become synonymous with Cadillac as a brand, and many of its distinctive styling elements can still be found on Cadillac's vehicles to this very day.
Considering how important the Eldorado is to Cadillac's history, it's a real shame that the model hasn't been a part of the brand's lineup since its unfortunate yet understandable demise in 2002. After many half-hearted attempts to keep the model relevant, through downsizing and even the integration of front-wheel drive, it simply faded into meaninglessness and was eventually dumped in favor of better-selling sedans and SUVs. In the years since, Cadillac has evoked the essence of the Eldorado through many concept cars, most recently seen through the wonderfully bold Sollei Concept.
Despite the undeniable beauty of Cadillac's Sollei Concept, it is difficult to imagine that sending a full-size luxury convertible into production could ever be a sound business practice for Cadillac in 2025. Thus, if Cadillac were to bring back the Eldorado, it would need to be radically different from the Eldorado of the past, yet still remain true to the original ethos of the nameplate. It would need to act as a sort of halo car that represents both the brand's traditional values and progressive innovation, all wrapped up in one breathtakingly captivating package that carefully weaves luxury and performance together as one.
Using generative text-to-image artificial intelligence and Adobe Photoshop, we'll take an imagined look at what a revived Cadillac Eldorado could look like as a sleek, modern, high-performance luxury coupe, using contemporary Cadillac design language and true to its heritage proportions, and discussing hypothetical specifications, both mechanical and technological. These images are for entertainment purposes only and in no way depict any actual Cadillac or General Motors products.
Firstly, Cadillac would need to benchmark a revived Eldorado against its prospective competition. As Cadillac has, since the early 2000s, aimed its sights squarely at well-established German rivals like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Porsche, it only follows that a revived Eldorado would most likely compete with performance-oriented coupes like the legendary Porsche 911 and the brutally fast Mercedes-AMG GT. To do so, the Cadillac Eldorado should use a rear-wheel drive platform for the sake of competitive driving dynamics, with its engine mounted in front of the cabin in order to stay true to the Eldorado's historical proportions.
Multiple performance variants could fill different needs in the market. The Eldorado's most basic powertrain option could be anything ranging from the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing's 472-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6, the discontinued CT6-V's 550-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter V8 (that also produces a whopping 640 lb-ft of torque), or even the C8 Corvette Stingray's 490-horsepower 6.2-liter LT2 V8.
Combining a sub-4500 lb. curb weight with a 10-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, with optional all-wheel drive available at an additional cost and perhaps even an optional six-speed manual transmission for the purists such as myself, this idea of a revived Cadillac Eldorado would be perfectly suited to take on the likes of the 473-horsepower Porsche 911 Carrera S and the 469-horsepower Mercedes-AMG GT 55. Equipped with Cadillac's Magnetic Ride Control, Brembo brakes, limited-slip differentials, active rear steering from the CT6-V, and driver-selectable modes, there's no denying that a revived Eldorado would make for some serious competition against ze Germans.
For the revived Cadillac Eldorado to effectively chase after heavy hitters like the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Mercedes-AMG GT 63, there doesn't seem to be a more obvious choice of powertrain than the brutishly muscular, 668-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8 found in the CT5-V Blackwing. Combining the sheer brute force of an old-school General Motors pushrod V8 and a big ol' blower mounted on top with a modern, state-of-the-art chassis, a Blackwing variant of a revived Cadillac Eldorado would be an authentically American take on a contemporary performance GT car.
While variants of the Eldorado with more traditional, old-school combustion power could celebrate Cadillac's legendary roots and their well-aged performance excellence, a fully-electric Eldorado IQ could show the world what the brand's latest and greatest EV technology is capable of in a truly performance-focused setting. Using the Cadillac Escalade IQ's 200kWh battery system with dual-motor all-wheel drive to produce 750 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque, debuting a 100% electric luxury performance coupe could be the perfect way for Cadillac to prove to the world that transitioning their lineup towards electric vehicles doesn't have to come at the cost of driving engagement.
Targeting a sub-three-second 0-60 mile per hour sprint time, an electrified Cadillac Eldorado IQ would be revolutionary, and could compete with the likes of the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, and the Mercedes-AMG EQE 53. Although Cadillac has proven more than capable of competing with rival European models in certain segments, an Eldorado IQ could prove that they're also capable of challenging the Euro brands' most cutting-edge and technologically advanced offerings.
Ultimately, the possibilities are endless as for what powertrain could find a home beneath the hood of a revived Cadillac Eldorado. Most importantly, however, is the fact that right now may be the best possible time to reintroduce the Eldorado into Cadillac's lineup. Cadillac is in a transformative stage as a brand, gradually transitioning itself upmarket and towards further electrification. Cadillac has also been much more prone to taking risks as of late, introducing extremely niche models like the $340,000 hand-built Celestiq, which pairs modern electrification with polarizing, old-school Cadillac proportions.
If the automaker revived the Eldorado to compete with comparable European models like the Porsche 911, Mercedes-AMG GT, and the Maserati GranTurismo, it's a model that could do a whole lot for the brand's overall image, increasing Cadillac's diversity within its model portfolio, and establishing itself as a serious player in the luxury performance market. So, please, Cadillac, hear my cries, and bring back the Eldorado with gorgeous styling and mind-boggling performance.
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